The Problems With Love
by Tiger ClawZ
Summary: RENAMED She thinks she loves him. He thinks she loves another. They both think they find the answer to the problem. But what happens is the problem is the one you love? Set in the trio's 6th year. Please R&R!
1. Concrete Bricks and Pathetic Losers

> > > > Hello everyone! I like reading Harry Potter so I decided I would start writing a fanfic, this is the first one I've written so don't expect it to be a work of art ok? Just tell me what I'm doing wrong and help me correct it ok? Well first the disclaimer:  
  
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER AND I NEVER WILL.  
  
Well that was easy...but boring. Anyway on with the story!  
  
Concrete Bricks and Pathetic Losers
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>>>> It was in the small hours of the morning. Hermione slowly got out of bed and shook her bushy hair out of her eyes and looked at the clock. It was 4 a.m. and only the slight glow of the sun was visible though her curtains. She walked over to her mirror and started to brush her bushy hair. It was only now did she realise how much she had changed since she had started at Hogwarts. Her teeth were much straighter after her 4th year at Hogwarts and her skin was still quite fair though over the years she had developed a slight tan. She had grown considerably taller but was still much shorter compared to Ron or Harry. Completely lost in thought, she sat in front of her mirror brushing her hair until the sun had fully risen.
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>>>> "Hermione, come on or you'll miss the train!" Hermione's mother called.  
  
"Yes mum, I'm coming!" she shouted back.  
  
It was later that day and Hermione was quickly packing her bag for school. She was very excited to be going back to school for her 6th year and she couldn't wait to see Harry and Ron again. She quickly stuffed all her clothes in and neatly stacked her books on top before carefully closing the lid. She looked up and saw a picture of her with Harry and Ron, all of them smiling and waving to her.  
  
"How could I forget." She muttered to herself. She grabbed the picture and placed it carefully on top of her books before closing the lid again.  
  
"I'm ready! I'll be there in a moment!" she shouted out to her mother and father before starting to lug her bag down the hallway.
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>>>> Hermione quickly walked down the platform checking her watch: 10:50 it read. Oh no, I had better hurry or I' m might not get a compartment! She thought and quickened up her pace. She quickly ran through the gateway to see that the Hogwarts express waiting there for her. She smiled at the sight of it and then ran off with her luggage to find a compartment.  
  
After a short walk down the carriages, she found an empty compartment. She sat down exhausted and waited for her friends. She heard the thud of the carriage door opening and she sat up to look through the window. Draco Malfoy was standing there looking at her in disgust.  
  
"Hello Mudblood, where's Potty and Weasel? Have they abandoned you? Ha, bet you they have, I don't know why anyone would hang out with you Granger." Draco said to her.  
  
"No they haven't abandoned me...they're just late again. Talking about people abandoning each other, what ever happened to your dull friends Crabbe and Goyle? Suppose they've abandoned you, I don't see why anyone would hang out with a snotty brat, even concrete bricks like Crabbe and Goyle would know better." Hermione retaliated.  
  
Draco put on a look of pure disgust and marched off down the corridor. Hermione thought to herself, Serves him right the silly fool, when there was a knock at the compartment door. She looked up ready to tell Malfoy off again when she realised it was Ron and Harry looking at her.  
  
"Hey! I was wondering when you'd be here, I've been waiting for a while!" Hermione said to them as they sat down.  
  
"Oh, well the luggage we had was a bit.... over packed and it kinda blew up as we were putting it in the luggage area..." Ron muttered to his hands.  
  
Hermione resisted the temptation to giggle as she imagined Harry and Ron walking up to the luggage area and all of a sudden their prized possessions were everywhere and Pigwidgeon zooming happily around their heads as they quickly packed it all up.  
  
"Anyway, we saw Draco marching down the hallway looking kid of offended. What happened?" asked Harry.  
  
"Well, he barged into the compartment and we had an argument and I made out that he was a pathetic loser." Hermione replied.  
  
"Well Hermione, you've changed a lot. Before you wouldn't have done that, would she Ron? Ron?"  
  
They both looked over to Ron and found him fighting off Pigwidgeon as Pig flapped around his head.  
  
"Stupid...Pig...get...off!" he shouted as he flailed his arms everywhere trying to beat Pig away.  
  
Harry and Hermione both laughed as the Hogwarts express started on its way to Hogwarts and their 6th year.
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>>>> Hello again! Did you like it? Plz review. I need to find out if it's good or not!  
  
Tiger ClawZ


	2. Emptiness

> DISCLAIMER: STILL DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER.  
  
Hello again!!!!! I like writing hehehe, well on with the story. Oh by the way, I'm leaving out the fact that Hermione and Ron are prefects cos...it kinda ruins the story.  
  
Emptiness
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> ----  
  
As they slowed down to a stop at Hogsmeade station, Hermione looked out of the compartment window. She had longed to meet with Harry and Ron again but something was missing. She did not feel as happy as she usually did when she met them. Just then the train shuddered to a halt and the carriage doors slammed open. She could hear the noisy bustle of other Hogwarts students filing into the corridors, happily awaiting their first sight of Hogwarts in around 2 months. Hermione smiled at her friends and they all started to grab their belongings and follow the other students out of the train.  
  
She, Harry and Ron managed to find a 'horseless' carriage for themselves. Harry stopped to pat the Thestral before they got in. Ron looked at Harry.  
  
"I still don't get why you can only see them when you've seen someone...you know...pass away..." he said to Harry.  
  
"Well I don't think they're that bad. They're quite nice and I don't think it matters why you can only see them when you've seen someone 'pass away'" Harry replied in a dignified sort of tone.  
  
Hermione was not paying attention to Harry and Ron but still dwelling on the thoughts she so briefly thought on the Hogwarts Express. She looked gloomily out the window and up to the starry night sky. She could see all the stars twinkling at her from up above. Her mind was determined to figure out why she felt so empty inside, I'm going back to Hogwarts and I'm with Harry and Ron yet I feel so lonely, it doesn't make any sense. She let her mind wander off as they approached Hogwarts.  
  
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As they all filed into the Great Hall for the Sorting Hat ceremony and feast, Hermione felt a strange feeling in the air; it was not warm but not so cold it chilled the bone. It was a pleasant coolness that calmed her from the inside, a feeling of security. She felt someone grab her arm and pull her away from her thoughts. She turned around to find Harry and Ron pulling her towards the Gryffindor table.  
  
"C'mon 'Mione or you'll be trampled by the first years!" Ron whispered urgently. As they found their seats Professor McGonagall walked in followed closely by the small and terrified first years. As they all slowly filed up towards the staff table Hermione giggled when she heard Ron whisper to Harry, "They get smaller every year don't they?"  
  
When everyone was quiet, Professor McGonagall brought out the Sorting Hat, which broke out in song:
> 
> "Before Hogwarts became a school,  
And I had just been bought,  
I met young Godric Gryffindor  
And I knew about his sort:  
Brave and noble and very bold,  
They were his finest qualities..."  
  
Hermione did not hear the rest of its song or the Sorting; her mind was too crowded with information. She was thinking about going to class tomorrow when she noticed a figure slip out of the hall. She slowly got up and followed the figure out of the hall.  
  
----  
  
As she moved into the moonlight she could just tell who the figure was: Draco Malfoy. What is he doing here, sneaking out of the Hall in the middle of the Sorting? She marched up to him angrily.  
  
"What are you doing sneaking out here in the middle of the school sorting ceremony?" she almost screamed at him. He looked at her in surprise.  
  
"Well, what about you? Why are you here then?" he asked her incredulously.  
  
"W...we...well," she muttered, "I was following you! Why are you here anyway?" she asked firmly.  
  
"I'm came out for some fresh air, is that bad Mudblood?"  
  
"Don't call me that you...you...you foul creature! For a fact, coming out for some fresh air is not bad, but coming out for fresh air when we are supposed to be in the hall is not OK!"  
  
"That's right Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy, it is not alright." Came a stern voice from behind them.  
  
"Professor McGonagall!" They cried out in unison.  
  
"Friday night detention for both of you, in my office at 9:00 sharp." And with that she turned around and went back to the feast. Hermione and Draco immediately turned to each other and started shouting.  
  
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! THAT'S MY FIRST DETENTION IN...IN A LONG TIME AND ITS ONLY THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!" Hermione shouted in Draco's face.  
  
"MY FAULT IS IT? IF YOU HADN'T COME HERE TO FOLLOW ME, WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SEEN!" Draco shouted back. Hermione glared at Draco and quickly turned around and left. Stupid little...thing, she thought furiously, it's his entire fault, and it's not fair! She sat herself down next to Harry and started eating.  
  
"Wha's w'on 'e'mio'e?" Ron asked with his mouth stuffed full of mashed potato. Hermione looked at Ron as though he was an alien, she understood him just as much as she would understand Crookshanks if he tried to talk to her. He finished chewing then said, "What's wrong Hermione?"  
  
"It's just that stupid Malfoy, he landed us both on Friday night detention." She replied angrily.  
  
"What? Malfoy again? He's such a stupid git." Harry said loudly.  
  
"Yes I know he's a git but I can't do anything about my detention now." Hermione looked over to the Slytherin table and saw Malfoy chatting quietly to Crabbe and Goyle. He's probably telling them what a brat I am; I'm not going to be forgetting this any time soon.  
  
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Hello again!!!!!! Was that good? It was long.... i think oh well.... plz R&R!!!!!!!! Plz!!!!!!


	3. I'll Prove it to You

> > DISCLAIMER: I STILL DON'T OWN HARRY OR DRACO OR HERMIONE OR RON OR ANYBOSY ELSE ( I ONLY OWN DA STORYLINE  
  
Hello!!!!!!!!!! Hehe this chappie is gonna b in 2 different point of views so ill jus tell you when they change. Thanx for all da nice reviews! On with the story!
>> 
>> **I'll Prove it to You  
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Hermione was walking up the hallway grumbling to herself furiously. She looked at her watch and saw that it was 8:50. She quickened up her pace so as not to be late for her first detention.  
  
"This is all his fault, that's a permanent mark on my record! Grrr... I'm not going to forget this!" she grumbled as she pushed the door open of Professor McGanagall's office. She walked in and found Malfoy already sitting there waiting for her to come, it seemed that he too was very angry about this as he was grumbling quietly to himself as well.  
  
"Ah, you're here Miss Granger. You two will go down to the dungeons with Professor Snape to clean out cauldrons. I am too busy to be taking care of miscreants tonight so Professor Snape will be in charge. I expect the best behaviour from you two or you can be sure of more detentions." Professor told them with a superior air to her voice. Hermione and Draco looked at each other at the same time and shot daggers into each other.  
  
As they were walking down to the dungeons, lead by Snape, they continued to glare at each other at different times. When they finally reached the dungeons, Snape swept up about 10 cauldrons which all looked completely burnt out and beyond repair.  
  
"I expect these cauldrons to be completely clean when I return. If not, I suspect you too will have been mucking around and more detentions will be in order." And with that, Snape left the dungeons to what Hermione suspected as his office for something nice to drink. Hermione picked up one of the cauldrons and began to wipe it furiously to no avail. Draco laughed at her.  
  
"Honestly Mudblood, you can't expect to wipe these cauldrons clean. Use magic! It's much easier!" he sneered at her. Hermione got up and looked at him.  
  
"If Professor Snap left these cloths here, he must expect us to clean them by hand and not by magic!" she said back.  
  
"Fine do it your way, but don't come complaining to me if your arms are too weak to do anything afterwards." Draco picked up a few cauldrons and with a flick of his wand the cauldrons sparkled like new. Hermione looked back down to her cauldron and continued wiping.  
  
DRACO'S POV  
  
He sat down into a nearby chair and looked at Hermione. Honestly, I don't know how she thinks. It's impossible to wipe these cauldrons clean, especially after what I did to them... He gave a muffled laugh and Hermione got up to look at him.  
  
"And what would you be laughing at?" she asked him.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Just your pathetic attempts at cleaning!" he replied.  
  
"You are so foul Draco Malfoy! Do whatever you want but I go by the rules in which I don't believe you ever had!"  
  
"Oh really? Well you can slave over them. I'm just going to sit her and laugh at you. And by the way, I have followed the rules before, just not the rules you follow." Draco turned away a conjured up a mug of hot chocolate. He was thinking about all these horrid things he was planning to do to Hermione when he felt a slight twinge of guilt and then for a split second he felt kind of happy. Draco overlooked these things thinking they were simply the affects of hot chocolate. (A/N such a dull one he can be at times --')  
  
HERMIONE'S POV  
  
Hermione was thinking of going straight back to Harry and Ron after detention to tell them just how horrible Draco had been to her but then she noticed something. The empty feeling from the trip to Hogwarts and throughout the week had disappeared. She felt content and calm all of a sudden but she couldn't think of why. She just thought to herself, I'll ask Harry and Ron afterwards, maybe they will know...  
  
----  
  
After a few hours of scrubbing and listening to Draco snort at her, Hermione was on her way back up to the Common Room to tell Harry and Ron what had happened.  
  
"Kneazles!" she said to the portrait of the fat lady. It swung open to reveal a warm, deep red room with a few large couches and sofas arranged strangely around the room. As she stepped in a flood of warmth swept over her sending a cold shiver down her spine as she adjusted to the temperature. She looked around the Common Room and found Harry and Ron sitting in front of the fire playing Wizard's Chess, apparently waiting for her return.  
  
"Hermione! We've been waiting for you! How was detention? Did Malfoy bother you?" They both said to her at the same time.  
  
"Well, detention was horrible. Professor McGonagall made us go to the dungeon with Snape to scrub cauldrons, Malfoy sneered and laughed at me when I scrubbed them by hand and he did it by magic and...eugh...he's so annoying!" she blurted out in one deep breath.  
  
"Stupid git. Honestly, how annoying can you get?" Harry said to them in frustration.  
  
"Hey, in the dungeons I felt something strange. Before on the train to school and for the past week, I've been feeling kinda of...empty you could say but down in the dungeons I felt kind of...how can I say this...complete? I don't know but that empty feeling went away. What could that mean?" Hermione asked them, remembering her mental note from the dungeons. Harry and Ron thought for a moment then exchanged looks.  
  
"Umm...Hermione, you don't...umm...like Malfoy do you? I mean it's just that I felt that way too when I liked Cho..." Harry asked slowly. Hermione looked at him in disbelief.  
  
"Harry! How could you think such a thing! Course I don't like him! That's impossible! He's an annoying git like you said! And I'll prove it to you I don't like him! Harry, will you go out with me?" she said to him in disbelief. Harry went red and sat there for a moment in shock.  
  
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Ehehehehe I'll leave it there ( heeheehee I like leaving you people there, it feels nice! Just joking! Keep reading and reviewing guys!


	4. Is this true love?

> DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER.  
  
Do I have to write a disclaimer every time? It's annoying... anyway, I'm sorry for not updating sooner but I have a lot of homework ( oh and mEh, if I remember properly...I don't think they we're ever together if your talking about Harry and Hermione... oh well. Keep reviewing! On with the story!  
  
Is this true love?
> 
> HARRY'S POV
> 
> ----
> 
> Harry looked at her strangely. He had never expected this to happen so suddenly. Sure, he had liked Hermione for ages and had always wanted to go out with her, but this wasn't exactly the way he had planned for it to happen.  
  
"U...um..." he stuttered in shock, "err...I guess I could go out with you..." he finished turning even redder to make a set with the carpet they were sitting on. Ron was staring frantically from one to another, apparently trying to piece together what had just happened. Hermione took a deep breath and slumped back down again.  
  
"See, there! I wouldn't have asked you out if I liked Malfoy." She said with a know-it-all tone in her voice. Harry was not convinced. He knew that Hermione was going to be hard to convince but he knew for a fact that emotions didn't run the way people thought they did. But then, he really liked her and he didn't want to lose this chance to go out on a date with her. He thought for a moment and decided to sleep on the matter and decide whether to tell her in the morning.  
  
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STILL HARRY'S POV  
  
Harry had been sitting in his dorm next to the window for literally hours now. He had woken up from a restless sleep thinking about Hermione asking him out. After sleeping on the matter he still couldn't work out what was best. He could hear the distant chatter of students in the Great Hall and by the lake, probably going for an early morning stroll. Yet again he found himself wondering how other kids could go along life without worrying. These thoughts brought back painful memories of Sirius, never had Harry so desperately needed or wanted to talk to Sirius about something. As tears swelled in his eyes, Harry turned around to get some tissues to find Ron sitting on his bed watching him.  
  
"Since when have you been sitting there?" Harry asked.  
  
"I dunno...about half an hour maybe?" Ron replied after a moment of thought, "How long has it been since you woke up?"  
  
"Too many to count..."  
  
"Been thinking about Hermione eh?"  
  
"Yeah...I'm not sure if I should accept her date..."  
  
"I say go for it. I know you've liked her since you met and I think that now's your big chance, just go with it. But, I'm still not entirely convinced that she doesn't like Malfoy...if she does..." (A/N is it just me or is Ron OOC?)  
  
"I know what you would do and I would do the same. I guess you're right, I should just go with it." Harry looked at Ron. He had never realised how good it felt to have a friend like him but before he could cherish the thought, they heard Seamus and Neville stirring and both decided to go down to breakfast.  
  
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HERMIONE'S POV  
  
The trio was walking towards the Charm's classroom and Ron was trying to spark up some form of conversation. Ever since the night before, things had been a little awkward between Harry and Hermione, neither of them knowing what to say knowing that it would make at least one of them feel slightly uncomfortable.  
  
"C'mon Hermione, why don't you say something?" Ron whispered to her while Harry was busy unhooking his bag from a particularly stubborn doorknob.  
  
"I don't know what to say! It's just too strange now that Harry and I are...you know...going out." Hermione whispered back. She felt Ron elbow her slightly in the stomach and she moved over to Harry to help him fight off the doorknob that had just torn Harry's bag in half.  
  
"So...Harry, when are we going on the...date?" Hermione asked cautiously trying to use her wand while the door and Harry were moving around. It took a while for Harry to respond.  
  
"Umm...well I guess next Hogsmeade weekend, that's the only real time we get...right?" He replied just as cautiously.  
  
"Ok then." After getting rid of the doorknob, she walked back towards Ron who had a slight grin but also a look of disappointment on his face.  
  
"What's with you?" Hermione asked him.  
  
"Well, I'm happy you two are together, disappointed that you didn't say more and also laughing at your awkward moments together." He replied quickly. Before Hermione had the time to hit him, he had run off. She jolted after him closely followed by Harry who was desperately trying to pick up the remains of his bag while running after them.  
  
----  
  
At Hogsmeade...  
  
Hermione and Harry were walking down the main street of Hogsmeade, dodging in and out of the large groups of students running in and out of stores. Ron had walked off with Ginny, Fred and George, all of whom left in fits of suppressed laughter at the awkward sight of two extremely red faced people.  
  
"So, where do you want to go first?" Harry asked quietly.  
  
"Umm...how about we go to the Three Broomsticks first for something to drink." Hermione replied. They both walked down the main street in silence till they reached the always crowded and extremely noisy bar. They walked in and found a table in the corner to themselves. Madam Rosmerta walked up to them with a slight grin on her face.  
  
"I never knew you did private serving of tables." Hermione said curiously.  
  
"Oh...well just for today I feel...special!" She said just a little too brightly, leaving Hermione with a shrewd suspicion that a particular group of red headed kids had been talking to a few people.  
  
"We'll have two butter beers thanks." Harry said to her seemingly oblivious to the mischievous grin that was playing o her face.  
  
"Two butter beers coming right up!" As Madam Rosmerta bustled off Hermione and Harry turned away from each other and started to observe the people sitting around them. It was a while before they finally started talking.  
  
"So, what do you want to talk about?" Hermione slowly asked.  
  
"Well I've been meaning to...never mind." Harry ended quietly.  
  
"What have you been meaning to tell me?"  
  
"Well it's just that I'm not fully convinced that you don't like Malfoy."  
  
"Course I don't like him!! That's just crazy! You know I don't Harry, why would I have asked you out?"  
  
"So...you mean you don't like Malfoy?"  
  
"I've told you before, I don't like Malfoy, never have liked Malfoy and I never will."  
  
"OK..." Harry said before trailing off.  
  
----  
  
Later...  
  
The trio was walking around the lake talking about the trip to Hogsmeade.  
  
"So what did you do Ron?" Harry asked. Hermione was fully confident she knew exactly what he had been doing.  
  
"Oh, nothing much." Ron replied trying to hide a grin but failing completely.  
  
"Oh, Ron we know you've been telling everyone that we are going out. It's so obvious after the few dozens of people who came past giggling and pointing towards us." Hermione said exasperatedly.  
  
"Oh...was it that obvious?" Ron replied. Hermione sighed as they continued to walk around the Lake till it was very late. Ron ran up to the Common Room claiming he had forgotten to do some work. Hermione immediately knew it was another one of his ideas.  
  
"Harry, I just wanted to thank you for umm...giving me such a great time today." Hermione said struggling to find the right words.  
  
"It's no problem Hermione." Harry looked up at the blackening sky in apparent deep thought before looking back at Hermione.  
  
"Umm...Hermione I want to tell you something...ever since I first met you I've..." Harry faded off. He then took a big gulp of air.  
  
"Iweliweliwelilikyolot" he blurted out in one go. Hermione tried to decipher it but it was in vain.  
  
"Err...pardon?" she asked him.  
  
"I really really like you Hermione." He said quietly. Hermione immediately turned a bright shade of pink.  
  
"You do Harry?"  
  
"Yeah, since I met you on the train. I've really liked you..." he trailed off again looking at his shoes. Hermione bent down to look at his face to find that it was even redder than her face. He looked back up and Hermione now knew more about Harry than she had ever known before. Before she knew it she was looking directly into his eyes and she was leaning forwards for her (so called) first kiss. But little did they know that there was someone watching them, someone they wouldn't expect.  
  
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lolololololololol I wonder who it is.... DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol you havta guess!!!! Keep reviewing guys! Even if u don't lyk the fact that Hermione and Harry are together...


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